Sophisticated reaction, perfectly grammatically expressed
Am I the only person who finds it incredible and so unnecessary that certain people wilfully publish deliberately insulting (mild word) provocations against a religion, all in the name – or under the safe legal haven – of free speech? Who are these freaks?
Being ‘from the west’, I hold the concept of free speech as vital and precious – something that may, even now, be incomprehensible to the citizens of Cairo or Tripoli. I also know this has its moral and legal limits, and I try to respect those boundaries.
So, in this blog, I frequently ridicule those pretentious people of power I despise for their arrogance and incompetence. (Blair, Bush, Romney, Clinton, Netanyahu, Borisov, for example.) I may take swipes at aspects of religion, too.
But I hope I preserve a fundamental respect for those who think differently from me: I believe I can criticise their behaviour, but will not attack or denigrate their fundamental beliefs, whatever views I privately hold.
Others seem not to think similarly; witness the condemnation of what looks like a piece of rubbish video, that insults (as I understand it) the basic tenets of Islam.
No, I’m certainly not defending Islam, with its own vicious, sectarian and ideological divisions (just like the Christian religions).
Instead, my simple question is: why the stupid, savage violence, that ends up with innocent people needlessly killed on all sides? Are we all so bloody primitive – both the provocateurs and the reactionists? Can we not understand a stupid, miserable provocation, and dismiss it with the scorn and ridicule it deserves? Or, will we never understand each other, because we just don’t want to?[1]
[1]: Reuters
Image source: Reuters
Tags: Christianity, demonstration, idiocy, Islam, protest
philinsofia 
16/09/2012 at 10:50 |
In regards to the incident I guess it made you write these lines, a Muslim friend of mine asked me some days ago: “What would you do if someone burns a Bible in front of you?.” Nothing,” I said, “I would feel offended as a believer I am, but I would not change anything by reacting to that”. He inmediately replied with the surprising tone his face was showing: “¿Are you kidding me?, If that happens to me, I would kill him right away.” We kept talking and he was not able to explain me why he would kill him and, I think (and I hope), I was able to convince him how that wouldn’t be a good idea.
But also, you would have to be retarded to burn the Coran in front of a Muslim or mocking Mohammed, knowing how they would react to that. That provocation is obviously not a random creation of an underground cool director.
Even though there is a cultural-traditional factor here, to show the mass or remark what is good, what is bad and how to react, politicians are taking very good care to use the let’s say “weakness” of the mass for their own purposes: religion.
I wonder where is the oil this time!
Nice post Phil!
Take care and nazdrave!
Pedro
19/09/2012 at 22:14 |
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19/09/2012 at 23:38 |
Thanks for your support!
philinsofia